


Dawn Treader

by briefoptimisticspaceaffair



Series: Narnia is my Home [3]
Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Crack, F/F, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:14:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 15,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24369427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/briefoptimisticspaceaffair/pseuds/briefoptimisticspaceaffair
Summary: Caspian was very firmly glued to Edmund’s side, and Edmund was not complaining. It was very adorable, and Edmund was enjoying every minute. The island still grew the same mango-like fruit that Edmund had enjoyed before with Peter and Susan. Edmund was having a lot of fun getting Caspian to feed him slices of the fresh fruit.
Relationships: Caspian/Edmund Pevensie
Series: Narnia is my Home [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1755679
Comments: 42
Kudos: 222





	1. A Pendant

Things were worse. So much worse. The first time Edmund had left Narnia, his memories of Narnia had been blurred. Edmund remembered everything. Edmund remembered the feel of Caspian’s back under his hands. The taste of his mouth, the sound of his voice, the scent of moss and flowers. Edmund remembered the confused pleading look on Caspian’s face that day Edmund had walked through the doorway. Edmund almost wished that he would forget like the first time. And then Edmund took it back, he never wanted to forget Caspian. 

When they had returned to England, the Narnian clothes they had been wearing were exchanged for the school uniforms they had abandoned amongst the ruins of Cair Paravel. The pendant Caspian had gifted Edmund stayed with him. Edmund always wore it around his neck, close to his heart.

Which is why Edmund was currently trying to murder his twerp of a couisn. Eustace the snotty brat, had stolen Edmund’s pendant when he had been sleeping. This was one of the many reasons Edmund had not wanted to share a room. 

“EDMUND!” Lucy screamed, Eustace made a worrying gurgling noise under Edmunds hands. Edmund released his cousin from the choke hold he had been holding him in. Lucy was instantly by Edmund's side, putting herself between him and Eustace. Lucy’s worried face filled Edmund’s vision. 

“You tried to kill me!” Eustace spluttered behind her in his obnoxious whining voice. Edmund reminded himself that Eustace was only twelve, and he was his cousin. “I’m going to tell Harold and Alberta!” His annoying cousin. Eustace scrambled out of the bedroom.

Edmund sighed, closing his eyes. “What happened?” Lucy asked.  
“He stole my pendant” Edmund said, he got up ignoring Lucy’s sad eyes. Edmund didn’t want to face her right now. He knew he had over reacted, but Edmund really didn’t want to hear it. He was just glad Peter and Susan weren’t here to scold him. 

Edmund could hear Eustace loudly whining at his parents that Edmund had lost it, it was like the ice cream incident. Edmund winced at that comment. He was not proud of how he had acted a week ago. Susan and mother were going to America to join father and Peter was off to medical school. Their mother had decided to surprise them by treating them all to a rare ice cream, she had also invited cousin Eustace. 

Edmund had taken one look at the frozen treat and left the shop. Mother had asked if it was similar to his hatred of Turkish Delight, Edmund may or may not have started to cry. Eustace had seen it all and had not let it go. Edmund almost wished that he had actually killed him. He instantly felt bad, Edmund had once been an obnoxious idiot. Eustace really wasn’t that different. And besides, Eustace didn’t know the background. Edmund would also be deathly curious if ice cream had made someone cry. He went to face the music.

Aunt Alberta sentenced Edmund to washing up duty for the rest of their stay. Uncle Harold grunted from behind his newspaper. Eustace gave Edmund his pendant back, but not before calling it a dumb girly necklace. Edmund put his pendant back on resting it over his heart. A weight lifted from his shoulders. Eustace gave him a guilty look.


	2. A painting

Edmund sought refuge in Lucy’s room. She had a whole room to herself. There was a small painting of the sea on her bedroom wall. It had a small ship painted on the horizon. Edmund liked to sit and look at it. 

“So,” Lucy began, “ I may have accidentally almost told Eustace about Narnia and your pendant and then I had to think quick and make up a cover story-”.  
“What? You what?” Edmund interrupted Lucy’s hurried talking.  
“I’m sorry” she said “I panicked”.  
Edmund sighed. “Just what did you tell him?”  
“He asked about your pendant, and I wasn’t really paying any attention, and I let slip about Narnia”.  
“What did you say?”  
“I told him you met someone during the summer holidays, they gave you the pendant and because it was summer there was ice cream and that's why you cried-”  
“Lucy!”  
“I panicked!” 

Well at least that explained Eustace’s suicidal thievery of Edmund’s pendant. He must have wanted to know how important it was, and probably look for clues about whoever gave it to Edmund. 

Caspian had looped the pendant around Edmund’s neck. Blushing Caspian said “the trees gave me this when you were sleeping. They said it was a gift from them to help me courting you”. Edmund had kissed Caspian beneath the trees. 

Edmund stared at the painting. “Do you think we’ll ever go back?” he let himself ask. Lucy hummed, she had grown very strong lately. She had always been strong, but when they had all returned the second time Peter had drifted away and Susan had closed off. Lucy’s strength had grown. She still carried sadness in the corner of her eyes but she survived. Every breath Edmund took in England was like death. 

“Talking about your dumb made up game again?” Eustace barged into the bedroom, he clearly still had a death wish. Lucy tried to be nice but even she struggled, Eustace was that snotty.  
“-Such an ugly painting-” he sneered at the artwork meanly and Lucy latched onto the comment.  
“Oh I think it’s quite wonderful really,” Edmund tried to ignore them. He twisted the twine of his pendant around his fingers. Unfortunately Eustace saw “so cousin, who gave you that necklace? Was it a girl?” Edmund reminded himself that his cousin was twelve, and England still had the death sentence for manslaughter. 

Thankfully Lucy changed the subject “the painting, it's moving!” It was moving Edmund momentarily thought it was a trick of the light, or wishful thinking or just a really good optical illusion. But Edmund had been staring at that picture for several times a day, he knew what it was supposed to look like. And it most certainly should not be dripping water, was there a leak in the pipes? Eustace was loudly making a nuisance of himself, Edmund wished he would just leave. 

There wasn't a leak. “Could it be?” Lucy muttered as the room began to flood. Eustace tried to open the door, it was stuck. Edmund had a familiar feeling, and then they were no longer in the Scrubb’s spare room they were in the sea. Narnia, it must be.


	3. The King

Edmund grabbed Eustace, the idiot was going to drown if he didn’t try to swim. 

The ship from the painting was behind them, there were shouts and then a few people from the ship jumped into the water. Edmund wondered if Caspian was on the boat. 

The men were muttering amongst themselves wondering just who the King had fished out of the waters. Edmund heard one say a bit loudly that perhaps they were mermaids. He couldn’t help laughing at the idea, especially in the face of Eustace squawking and being a general nuisance. Although Edmund supposed Eustace was really doing a good job of imitating the shrill noise mermaids made when angry. Thankfully Eustace shut himself up by fainting. Edmund considered that was an unkind thought to have about his cousin but Edmund decided now was not the time. They had mentioned the King, which meant Caspian. Edmund hoped it meant Caspian. 

When the painting in Lucy’s room pulled the three of them in, Edmund and Lucy knew that they had been called back to Narnia. Edmund had allowed the muted hope in his heart to boom. By Aslan Edmund could only hope that he was returned to Caspian. They came up next to a ship Eustace spluttering and looking very traumatised. Edmund felt bad for his cousin but instantly thought it had been a waste when Eustace nearly drowned them both. The ship's crew fished them out of the water, Lucy first. So it was Lucy who Caspian first saw and had been greeting when Edmund climbed over the ship's rail. Edmund could not put into words the joy he felt laying eyes on Caspian after one year. 

“Caspian!” he shouted and Caspian was turning to him, running to him, kissing him. Edmund barely registered the crew’s shocked exclamations and speculation that he really must be a mermaid and had enchanted their king. Edmund was busy reaquanting himself with Caspian’s mouth. He’d grown a beard in the time since Edmund had last seen him, Edmund ran his fingers over the sharp stubble. 

Caspian seemed to realise that other people existed and tried to address his crew. Edmund was not on board with that and kissed softly at Caspian’s lips. “Ed-oka-y” Caspian tucked Edmund into his shoulder under his arm, successfully creating space between his mouth and Edmund's. Edmund pouted against Caspian’s arm, but his sulky attitude melted away when Caspin pressed a consoling kiss to Edmund’s hair. Caspain quickly introduced Edmund and Lucy to his crew, Edmund noticed he had lost his Telmar accent for a more Narnian one. Reepicheep was the only member who knew Edmund and Lucy, the rest had only heard the stories. 

Unfortunately Eustace gained consciousness and proceeded to make a terribly embarrassing scene culminating in greatly offending Reepicheep. Edmund really didn’t want to admit that Eustace was his cousin, but family is family and Lucy could read Edmund too well. 

“I have so much to tell you!” Caspian gushed wonderfully leading Edmund, Lucy and an unconscious Eustace carried by some of the crew, to his cabin. “It's been three years,” Caspian said, confirming Edmund’s fear that time in Narnia had passed quicker this time around as well. “Rillian’s now-” and oh Rillian! That baby would have grown so much! Edmund felt a wave of sadness at all he had missed. 

“-His fourth birthday was just yesterday-” it was at this point in the conversation that the small group of them clambered into listening distance of the king’s cabin, and its occupants decided to make themselves known. A small blur of dark hair burst forth from the cabin much to a harried man’s dismay. The small boy attached himself to Caspian’s leg and a pair of dark eyes peeked up at Edmund. 

Lucy gasped. The babysitter apologised to Caspian, and Edmund put two and two together.  
“Is this Rillian?” he asked Caspian tentatively, his chest seemed to be at war with his heart. Caspian picked the boy up gently berating the lad for not listening to Ben, the babysitter.  
Caspian smiled at Edmund “Yes,” he said answering Edmund’s question. “meet Rillian, my nephew”.  
Edmund didn’t know what he was feeling but it was something big. Rillian blinked at Edmund then innocently asked his uncle, “Is that the man from the paintings?” Edmund got the feeling Rillian wasn't being very innocent at all. Caspian turned an interesting shade of pink, his gaze flicking from Edmund to the open cabin doors and back. 

Rillian pointed at Edmund “are you my mum?” The child demanded. Caspian choked. Edmund considered that his brain might just have stopped functioning as the word mum floated around in his head. Was he Rillian’s mum? Why was he thinking the answer was yes?  
Edmund snapped out of it slapping his forehead. 

Caspian berated Rillian telling him that no, Edmund was not his mum. Rillian retorted that Caspian was his father, so why could Edmund not be his mother? Edmund decided not to focus on that. Caspian scolded Rillian, he knew who his mother was and she was in the heavens now, along with his father. Prunipisa, Edmund thought, remembering the Telmarine noblewoman he had known only in her very final moments. 

Prunipisa who Edmund had promised to that he would keep her son Rillian safe. Edmund reached out and took Rillian from Caspian’s hold, cutting off Caspian’s gentle telling off to his four year old nephew. Rillian didn’t seem to mind happily returning the fierce hug Edmund held him in. There was a sharp sting in Edmund’s eyes. Tiny baby Rillian, grown so big, he had missed too much already. 

Eustace of course chose that moment to gain consciousness and ruin the moment.  
“Why is Edmund holding a baby? AHHHH the rat!”  
Edmund sighed letting Rillain stick his small exploring hands in his hair and tug at his curls. In the background Reepicheep expressed his hurt, asking Eustace to address him correctly, while Lucy tried to prevent Eustace going into cardiac arrest.


	4. Some time alone

Edmund sighed as Eustace was led away by a concerned Lucy. He guessed it couldn't stay peaceful forever. Caspian quietly agreed with hima sappy look on his handsome face. His eyes firmly on Edmund who was still cuddling Rillian. Edmund felt his face heat under Caspian’s stare.  
Rillian’s mini exploration of Edmund’s head ended in the small child fishing out the end of Edmund’s necklace from the back of Edmund’s very wet shirt. Rillian, wanting to know what the piece of twine was, yanked hard on it succeeding in cutting off Edmund’s airway. 

Caspian quickly loosened Rillian’s grip, taking the child back from Edmund, scolding him again. Edmund took his necklace off and wondered when four year olds had gotten so strong. Was it the Narnian air or the water, or both? Rillian caught sight of the small carved wooden charm attached to the piece of twine. “Dad! Edmund’s necklace matches your wristband!”

Rillian scrambled at Caspian’s sleeve wriggiling in Caspian’s hold. Edmund decided to indulge Rillian. He gave Rillian his necklace flicking back Caspian’s sleeve revealing a matching bracelet. “That’s right Rillian,” Edmund knelt down to Rillian’s height. “If you look closely, you can see that both charms have the same carvings”. Rillian held Edmund’s necklace against Caspian’s bracelet, his tiny wide eyes taking in the smooth wood. 

“It was made by the trees of the dancing lawns,” Lucy interjected. Eustace now escorted safely to a hammock for much needed rest. “To help these two idiots in their courting”. Lucy finished gathering the attention of the four hovering crew members.  
“Ah yes,” Edmund hastily said “that’s perhaps for another time”. Edmund did not want Lucy to start waxing tragic tales right now. Thankfully Rillian didn’t seem that interested in the potential gossip from Lucy. The small boy seemed content playing with Edmund’s necklace. 

Caspian moved the group into his cabin, only one member of his crew remained. Edmund’s face was painted on the walls of Caspian’s cabin. So, this is what Rillian had been referring to. Edmund had been depicted in traditional Narnian clothes, in a familiar blue shirt. Edmund smiled thinking of the shirt sleeve he had cutoff to give Caspian as a representation of his favor. 

Lucy scoffed loudly “goodness! Caspian!” Caspian was blushing again. The remaining crewman cleared his throat. “Your majesty can you perhaps fill me in?” The bald man requested. 

“Ah, Lord Drinian,” Caspian said, turning to Lord Drinian. “My apologies, Edmund here is my betrothed”. Caspian announced placing a kiss to the back of Edmund’s hands, Edmund’s heart fluttered.  
Lord Drinian stared speechless at his king, this was clearly the first he was hearing of this. Same here, Edmund thought.

Lucy swooped in to save Edmund again. “Yes, that’s right and they haven’t seen each other in such a long time. It was really very sad-” and now she was waxing tragic tales. Edmund disapproved of Lucy’s method but not her result. She charmed Drinian and Rillian from the cabin leading them off in an exaggerated version of the events following Edmund and Caspian’s courtship. She really was very good. 

Caspian turned to Edmund, hands around Edmund’s waist “I really do have a lot to tell you,” Caspian reluctantly began.  
Edmund stopped him with a small peck on the lips “it can wait a bit longer” he decided, pulling Caspian in the direction of the cabin’s bed. Edmund had a fiance to ravish. 

Edmund really liked Caspian’s new beard, he let Caspian know this. Caspian kissed Edmund deeply and Edmund finally got Caspian’s shirt off. Edmund had been wanting to do this since that day with the trees. Caspian pushed Edmund back against the bed’s cushions, his hands gently wrapped around Edmund’s wrists, Caspian mouthed open kisses over Edmund’s jawline, neck and collarbone. 

Edmund’s breathing had become short and heavy. His stomach was a mess of butterflies Edmund’s body was on fire. All the blood from his head had relocated to his dick. Caspian rocked his hips against Edmund’s creating delicious pressure. Edmund moaned. Caspian teased the skin of Edmund’s neck between his teeth. “You should probably get out of those wet clothes,” Caspian said, his voice lilted at the end of his sentence slipping back to his telmarian accent rumbling against Edmund’s neck. 

Edmund could only make incoherent high pitched noises. His mind was a mess, Edmund just wanted Caspian to keep on doing whatever he was doing. Caspian got Edmund’s trousers off, muttering and frowning when faced with the zip on his trousers. Edmund giggled feeling floaty. Caspian admonished him with a kiss. 

Some hours later Edmund lay half on top of Caspian’s bare chest tracing small doodles across his pectoral muscles. “So, when were you planning on telling me that we’re betrothed?” Edmund asked with a teasing grin enjoying Caspian’s embarrassment. “I- well. I had been planning a moonlit night under the rose archway at Cair Paravel-”

“Cair Paravel!” Edmund gasped 

“Don’t interrupt” 

“You restored her?” Caspian kissed Edmund’s fingers nodding yes happily, Edmund really loved this man. 

“Yes, she’s whole again. And,” Caspian loudly said over Edmund's excited noises, “I had planned to show you the gardens and ask you to marry me there”. He finished softly another sappy look on his handsome face. 

Edmund’s face hurt from smiling too widely, he didn’t care. “What was the next part of your plan” Edmund wanted to know everything. 

“Well,” Caspian continued “you would say yes of course-”.

“Of course”.  
“-And we would kiss under the stars-”.

“Have the trees tell us off again for public indecency”. 

“Ed” Caspian berated. 

“Go on!” 

“And then we would marry at sunset on the beach overlooking-”,

“The eastern sea” Edmund finished and he suddenly needed to kiss Caspian very much, so Edmund did, ignoring the few tears that escaped his eyes.


	5. The Lone Islands

Caspian told Edmund they had sailed out under the pretense of a diplomatic visit to Galma. Caspian had managed to persuade the court that Rillan would be coming along for his birthday party. The secret was that Caspian was searching for the lost Lords, those who had been loyal to his father and banished. The other secret that no one but Reepicheep knew was that Caspian’s intended final destination had been the sweet waters where mer-people resided. There was powerful magic out there and Caspian had hoped to find a door to Edmund’s world. Caspian had intended to go find Edmund whatever the consequences. 

“But you’re here now” Caspian finished with a gentle kiss to Edmund’s forehead.

“I’m here now” Edmund reiterated, he was here and he would stay. Edmund embraced Caspian tightly, Edmund would not leave Caspian again. 

Eventually they got up and made themselves decent and went up to join everyone on deck. Eustace was awake and trying to sulk in a corner, Rillian was busy ambushing Eustace mercilessly. Lucy sat in the centre of the crew midway through telling everyone about the time Edmund had personally saved Rillian when he was a baby. “- He fought off ten guards and flew off on the back of an eagle with baby Rillian-” that was not what happened. Lucy hadn’t even been there that night they attacked Miraz’s castle. 

“You weren’t even there Lucy,” Edmund interrupted his sister drawing attention to himself and Caspian. The crew immediately began to murmur amongst themselves swapping gossip about their King and his fiance. One of them loudly said that now they understood why the King had been so against a marriage to that lady from Galma. 

“Your Majesty,” Lord Drinian said, standing up “we should be sailing within sight of the Lone Islands in the next hour”. Caspian told Edmund quietly that the Lords had last been sighted on the Lone Islands. Caspian was excited to visit the Islands, he had never been further than Calormen. Edmund had been to the Lone Islands before during the Golden Age. Edmund wondered how much the Islands had changed. When he had first visited them with Peter, Susan and Lucy they had been given a crate of fruits native to the Island. The fruits had been similar to mangos, Edmund hoped that they still grew them, Edmund would like to eat the fruit again. 

Lucy had enamored the whole of the crew to her, all the sailors moved in circles around her as they went about readying the ship. Everyone wanted to be close to Lucy, and make sure she was comfortable. Was she cold? Did she want another blanket? Edmund found this amusing to watch. Lucy had changed into a dry set of clothes, a pale shirt and dark trousers with a pair of too large boots. She took great pleasure climbing up to the crows nest with Rhince, the first mate so she would be able to see the Lone Islands from a distance. 

Edmund noticed Eustace stumballing by, Rillian attached to Eustace’s back as Eustace piggybacked the young Prince. Edmund was suddenly glad that Eustace seemed to be getting along with someone. His cousin had been awful, but Edmund understood that Eustace had been thrust into a different world and everything was different and probably a bit scary. Rillian was a kid who wanted to play, and Eustace was only twelve. 

Lord Drinian spoke quietly to Caspian pointing at a map he had produced on the quarterdeck. Caspian gestured at something, his hand still entwined with Edmund’s. Lord Drinian’s face twitched as his King carried on discussing sailing routes guiding Edmund’s hand with his over the map. 

Caspian had decided to keep a low profile on the Lone Islands, he didn’t want to attract unpleasant attention. The Lone Islands had been estranged from mainland Narnia for a long time. This really didn’t work well when they got attacked in the town square. At first Edmund thought that the islanders were just being cautious. Lord Drinian had an interesting idea of being undercover and had been wearing a hooded cape, it was very suspicious. 

Edmund started to worry when more attackers appeared from the narrow townhouses. A shrill scream ripped through the square. Eustace had been caught by one of the attacking men. Edmund mentally cursed he should have paid better attention to where his cousin was, Eustace was useless at hiding. “I’ll gut the pig!” the man holding Eustace shouted his sword pressed to Eustace’s stomach. Edmund dropped his sword. Dammit Eustace. 

Edmund was just glad that Rillian had been left on board the Dawn Treader. The four year old had fallen asleep after returning Edmund’s pendant and Caspian’s bracelet. It was also good that the rest of the crew would be able to come rescue them later. 

Their captors were slave traders, and there was a market in an hour. Caspian was incensed, his subjects were buying and selling people. He loudly informed the closest slaver that new laws would be written emphasising basic human rights. The man threw Caspian a confused look. Edmund bit back an inappropriate smile, it was definitely not the time to be turned on by Caspian lecturing about new laws. 

Lucy and Eustace were put on the market first. Eustace wasn't very popular and Edmund was for the first time very thankful his cousin had a drippy face. Lucy kneed one of the slavers in the balls when they tried to sell her. She stood on the platform and glared furiously at the crowd, her hands bound behind her back. Edmund was very proud. 

Edmund got yanked up and shoved on the platform, the seller started the bidding. Caspian started shouting over the seller, threatening to behead anyone who tried to buy his fiance. It was really inappropriate for Edmund to find this amusing. Edmund hadn’t known that when Caspian was angry he also slipped back into his lilting telmar accent. Caspian was busy telling the slaver that he would personally cut off every one of the slaver's fingers if he dared touch Edmund again; when the crew of the Dawn Treader attacked the market. 

Edmund used the commotion to grab Eustace to make sure that his idiot cousin wasn’t used as leverage again. Eustace hugged Edmund tightly, Edmund didn’t know how to process this. He awkwardly patted Eustace on the back. Lucy jumped past Edmund’s vision, she had acquired two of the wide blades the slavers had and was wielding them lethally against the slavers. Edmund was so proud.


	6. Not a place for children

Lucy and Caspian got the slave traders to surrender, Caspian was angrily threatening the slavers with banishment from Narnia. The crowd started to murmur, was he the King? Edmund left Eustace with Reepicheep and went to join Caspian and Lucy, he didn’t know how the islanders would react to the presence of a Narnian King.  
Edmund didn’t want the whole island to revolt and throw them back into the sea. “This is King Caspian the teneth!” Lord Drinian announced. Edmund sighed. He was reminded of the first time he had come to the Lone Islands with Peter and Susan.  
A similar thing had happened back then there had been misunderstanding with the locals, they had mistaken them for fishermen. Peter had been offended and told the offending party that he was High King Peter, the Magnificent. They hadn’t been impressed. 

“King Caspian?” a man called from the crowd of islanders that had emerged from the narrow town buildings. He had a Telmarian accent. “Your majesty,” the Telmarian said, bowing to Caspian “my name is Bern, I was a friend of your late father”. 

“Lord Bern,” Caspian said, Lord Bern, one of the banished lords, well that was easy Edmund thought. Caspian noticed Edmund was within touching distance and immediately dragged Edmund into his side. “Are you alright?” Caspian quietly asked him, Edmund beamed back at Caspian’s cute worried face.  
“I’m fine Caspian,” Edmund told him, patting reassuringly at Caspian’s firm chest. 

Lord Drinian had taken over questioning the banished Lord Bern about the rest of the Lords. Lucy had somehow made friends with somebody's grandma in the span of about five minutes. The elderly lady insisted that everyone come have something to eat at her house. She had a very large house. It turned out that she had been the late governor’s aunt, her nephew had been killed by the slave traders. “-Such hardships the people have suffered since the slavers took control-”. Her name was Emily, and she told Lucy she was a member of the family that Peter had made the original treaties with. Her ancestor had been the one to call Peter ‘a limp fisherman’. 

The sailor Ben appeared with Rillian who latched onto an oddly quiet Eustace. Caspian was very firmly glued to Edmund’s side, and Edmund was not complaining. It was very adorable, and Edmund was enjoying every minute. The island still grew the same mango-like fruit that Edmund had enjoyed before with Peter and Susan. Edmund was having a lot of fun getting Caspian to feed him slices of the fresh fruit. 

Lord Bern told Lord Drinian that he was the only Lord that had remained on the Lone Islands, the remaining six had sailed further east. Lord Bern had never heard from them since. 

Emily had been running a secret underground revolution against the slave trade. She had a council set up and everything. Edmund was very impressed, Lucy went off with Emily to talk further about the Lone islanders. 

Emily invited the crew of the Dawn Treader to stay the night at her house and sail with the tide in the morning. She said a storm was coming in a day or two and they should ensure they were well prepared. Emily had Dawn Treader’s supplies restocked and gifted Edmund a barrel of dried Mangifera fruit that Edmund had liked so much. Caspian gave Emily one of his royal seals and told her to write to Trufflehunter at Cair Paravel for trade agreements. They would strengthen communications between the islands and mainland Narnia. Caspian entrusted Lord Bern in protecting the island in place of Emily’s late nephew.


	7. Not married yet

Edmund watched Eustace and Rillian play in the low courtyard of Emily’s house. It sat badly with Edmund that Eustace had been exposed to a lot of violence today, he was only twelve. Rillian had very nearly also been exposed to the events of today, if the four year old hadn’t fallen asleep he would have insisted on exploring the Lone Islands alongside his uncle. 

Edmund had been an obnoxious child when he first went through the back of the wardrobe and met the white witch. But Edmund had been a child, and children were very small and defenseless. It didn’t sit well with Edmund, they would probably face more dangers searching for the remaining Lords. Dangers that Edmund might be unable to protect Eustace and Rillian from. Edmund wondered if this was how Peter felt all the time. It was very stressful. 

It had really scared Edmund when Eustace had been held at sword point. Narnia was Edmund’s home, Caspian was Edmund’s home, but Eustace had not had very many pleasant experiences of Narnia. His cousin very much wanted to go home. 

Edmund wondered if he should ask Caspian if it was a good idea to send Rillian and Eustace back to Cair Paravel. Rillian was currently younger than Lucy had been at the first battle of Beruna against the white witch. 

“Edmund!” Rillian cried running at Edmund’s legs cutting off his train of thought. Rillian clung to Edmund’s legs and blinked up at him. “Are you going to come play with us?” he asked sweetly. Eustace hovered awkwardly in the courtyard he looked so unsure of himself. Edmund scooped Rillain up, much to the small boy's delight.  
“Has your uncle let you start sword training yet?” Edmund asked Rillian, he supposed Eustace would need to learn how to protect himself. “My father, has” Rillian corrected. 

Edmund put Rillian down and gathered a few fallen twigs from the silent tree in Emily’s courtyard. “Eustace,” Edmund addressed his cousin “I’m going to teach you how to move” Edmund tossed a twig at Eustace. 

Edmund got Caspian alone after he returned from organising Dawn Treader’s store and speaking more with the islander’s and Emily’s council members. Emily had showed Edmund earlier to a room further away from where the rest of the crew would be staying tonight. She had winked saucily at Edmund, Edmund was still recovering. “Ed” Caspian happily linked hands with Edmund pulling Edmund in for a quick kiss along the upper corridor overlooking the inner courtyard. 

Edmund wrapped his arms around Caspian’s waist remembering how Caspian’s accent had slipped in the market. “You know,” Edmund drawled, “it was very attractive of you to defend my honor earlier”. Caspian’s face coloured “It was also very sexy when you spoke in your telmarian accent” Edmund continued pressing a kiss to Caspian’s stubble.  
Caspian blinked at that comment “oh,” he said Caspian leaned in to kiss Edmund and Edmund closed his eyes in anticipation. “Is this our room?” Caspain asked instead of kissing Edmund. 

Edmund looked over his shoulder where Caspian was pointing “yes” he said.  
“Good,” said Caspian moving to open the door and then hooking one arm under the back of Edmund’s legs, the other around Edmund’s waist. Edmund made a surprised noise, Caspian carried Edmund into the room kicking the door shut behind them. 

“You know we’re not married yet” Edmund couldn't help saying from where he lay on the bed as Caspian kissed down the side of his neck. Caspian paused, and Edmund really hadn’t wanted him to stop, Caspian smirked down at Edmund. Edmund gulped suddenly feeling in danger, “well Edmund” Caspian said huskily in his Telmarian accent “would you like me to stop?” Caspian teased.  
Edmund shook his head vigorously gripping onto Caspian’s back “No” Edmund said.  
“Good,” Caspian said, leaning in to bite at Edmund’s lips. Hands wandered pulling off shirts and trousers. Edmund pressed Caspian against his neck enjoying the feel of his stubble.

Caspian moved slowly down Edmund’s torso kissing at Edmund’s bare chest telling Edmund that he was very handsome in his telmarian accent. Edmund’s knees felt weak, his stomach muscles trembled under Caspian’s soft mouth. Caspian paused and looked up meeting Edmund’s eyes he smirked at Edmund sitting up and telling Edmund to turn over. Edmund’s brain may have stopped working. Edmund hugged a pillow, Caspian pressed a brief kiss to the back of Edmund’s head before running his hands down Edmund’s back. Edmund heard the clink of a bottle and then Caspian was circling a finger around him. 

Edmund ended up pushing Caspian against the bed straddling his fiance and riding him. Edmund panted his thighs burning deliciously as he moved up and down. Caspian gazed into Edmund’s eyes, his hands linked with Edmunds where Edmund was holding onto the headboard.

Edmund woke up slowly early sunlight shone through the wooden shutters softly lighting the room. Edmund was lying half on top of Caspian, Edmund looked at Caspian’s pretty face, his hair was a mess, Edmund couldn’t help pressing a gentle kiss against his chin. Caspian hummed and moved a little his arms hugging Edmund to his chest. Edmund smiled at his sleepy fiance endeared. Caspian blinked his eyes open “good morning” he said softly returning Edmund’s smile and stretching slightly. Edmund let his smile turn a little filthy, Caspian noticed and kissed Edmund into the mattress. 

Edmund would have very much liked to spend the rest of the day in that bed, maybe a month but there were loud voices in the courtyard and they had a ship to sail. Caspian laced up Edmund’s shirt for him pressing small kisses to his mouth. 

Lucy was playing tag with Eustace and Rillian in Emily’s garden. One of the island’s council members told Caspian and Edmund on their way down the stairs that most of the crew were already on board, Lord Drinian and Bern were down in the drawing room with Lady Emily.


	8. Dark clouds

Edmund thought again that maybe Rillian should not continue on the rest of the journey, he pulled Caspian aside and told him this. “It is very unconventional” Caspian agreed, he was pulling a worried face “-but Rillian, he is safer with me than anywhere else-” Edmund suddenly felt an icy fear in his stomach “why, what happened?” he demanded.   
Caspian pursed his lips frowning and spoke quietly “Rillian is my heir, the papers you and the owls wrote before are very clear about that. He is my nephew and not my son, there has been pressure lately for me to marry. And in many people’s heads that means I would be having children who they believe should inherit the throne. We stopped six assasination attempts before we set sail. Rillian is safest with me”. Edmund tightened his grip on Caspian’s shirt, his mind processing this quickly. 

“One of the sailors said you had been proposed a marriage match on Galma,” Edmund muttered out loud gathering pieces of information. The secrecy of the voyage disguised as a diplomatic visit and birthday party rolled into one. Ben, Rillian’s babysitter, he was Rillian’s constant shadow, where Rillian was Ben was, Ben was his bodyguard. The fact that Rillian had been taken into Caspian’s cabin when they had swum up to the ship when they came to Narnia. They had been cautious putting Rillian out of harm's way. Rillian had already begun sword training, in the courtyard with Eustace he had shown basic knowledge that could only have come from actual proper training. 

Edmund’s stomach turned, his eyes stung, “that’s not fair, Rillian’s only a baby” Edmund said his face twisting. Caspian ran his thumb over Edmund’s furrowed brow.   
“The first assination attempt happened when Rillian was only two”. Edmund dropped his head on Caspian’s shoulder breathing deeply “I guess we just have to get married quickly then” Edmund said and Caspian huffed a small laugh. 

The Islanders gathered around the dock and waved the Dawn Treader off. Emily stood among them waving a flower patterned handkerchief. Lucy blew a kiss to her. The Lone islands grew smaller and smaller and vanished on the horizon.

Edmund poured over the maps on the quarterdeck with Caspian and Drinian. Lord Bern had passed on the coordinates that the six lords would have sailed by. 

The sea was smooth right up until night fell. The next day dark clouds sat heavy on the horizon, Emily had been right about a storm coming. 

It was rough sailing before the rain had started, hosting sails in torrential rain was deadly. Eustace was on deck, why was he on deck, he should be below decks with Rillian, Ben and Reepicheep. The mouse had not been pleased but had bowed to necessity, his paws would not be able to help in this weather. Eustace didn’t have a life line on him, Edmund moved as fast as he could towards his idiot cousin “Eustace!” he shouted the wind snatching the words from his mouth. By some miracle Eustace heard Edmund and turned to look at him, Edmund tried to yell at him some more but there was a loud cracking noise and Edmund saw the sail dip in the corner of his eye. Someone shouted his name before Edmund felt a tingle on the back of his neck and the mast came crashing down. 

When Edmund woke up the storm and broken, late afternoon sun shone on his face. Edmund squinted his eyes at the bright blue sky. From the lack of swaying beneath him he wasn't on the ship anymore. His mouth tasted like Lucy’s cordial, and he had a small ache around his eyes, he felt as though he should have a headache.   
“He’s awake!” someone called and then Caspian was beside Edmund leaning into his vision and holding his hand, “Ed, thank Aslan”.   
“Ugh” Edmund squinted some more and tried to sit up, Caspian put a gentle hand behind his head “careful” he had his worried face on.   
“What happened?” Edmund asked, moving his tongue around his mouth. 

“You hit your head and got your foot stuck under the broken mast, your feet are fine” Lucy said somewhere to Edmund’s left she poked at his ankle. “I think you just got a life ban from all dangerous activities” she finished off nodding to Caspian, and Edmund could see that. Caspian was probably mentally writing ten new laws banning Edmund from cutting his own meat.   
Well at least he hadn’t broken anything-Eustace- “where’s Eustace?” Edmund had been trying to get his idiot cousin below decks before getting knocked unconscious “is he okay, did he get hurt?” 

There was an awkward silence, Caspian was not meeting his eyes and Lucy aimed a disapproving frown at Caspian. “He is physically well, I’m afraid I may have frightened him,” Caspian delicately said.   
“He shouted Eustace’s ear off and threatened to have him on half rations for two weeks” Lucy interrupted glaring at Caspian.   
“You were unconscious and bleeding,” Caspian defended “I- may have overreacted” he admitted sheepishly. 

Lucy huffed unimpressed “he hasn't apologised yet, Rillian is waiting over there” she pointed to the opposite side of the beach where a camp had been set up. Edmund could see the small sulking form of his cousin, wearing his worn out english jumper.


	9. Dragons exist?

Edmund had intended to go and check on Eustace, he really had, but Rillian had distracted him with sand cakes. Caspian and Lucy had been the last to see Eustace when Lucy had escorted Caspian over to apologise. Eustace was missing. He had probably only gone wandering into the jungle, but Eustace was twelve and defenceless. There could be predators in there, and it had started raining, he could get a cold. Edmund had turned into his mother. “He was only wearing his jumper!” Lucy added, and not helpful Lu now Edmund was imaging a soggy shivering Eustace being attacked by a leopard or something.  
“I don’t think that leopards are native to this island” Drinian interjected.  
“Not helping Drinian!” Edmund grouched. 

They circled back to the camp in case Eustace had come back, Ben had no positive news. Edmund wanted to tear down the island and find his cousin. He couldn’t bear Lucy’s worried face, it was giving him flashbacks to that time Susan had almost got married. And no one wanted to remember that wedding. Drinian and the first mate Rhince set out again with a smaller group of the crew, they were all expert trackers Drinian had assured Edmund. Edmund resisted wringing his hands like his mother would in this situation. Being a responsible adult was very stressful. 

The rain lifted and Edmund was ready to start attacking the wilderness until it spat out his cousin. Instead a dragon swooped down on the camp. Edmund honestly didn’t know that there were dragon’s in Narnia, and now he had to kill it because it probably ate Eustace. Aunt Alberta was going to be very upset. The Dragon was a very bad flyer, and seemed to have trouble controlling it’s fire breathing ability. Drinian managed to cut the dragon’s nose, it seemed very upset and flew off. 

They tracked it to a lagoon. Lucy had the two wide swords she had acquired at the slave market drawn and at the ready. Instead of a dragon, Eustace came splashing towards them chucking a golden arm band on the rocks and hugging Lucy. He had a small cut on his nose and babbled enthusiastically about cursed treasure, being turned into a dragon and meeting a Great Lion named Aslan. Edmund needed to sit down for a minute. His cousin had turned into a dragon. Edmund was getting Eustace a Ben, a babysitter/bodyguard. Reepicheep was talking with Eustace, perfect “Reepicheep” Edmund said the mouse snapped to attention “your going to be Eustace’s Ben”  
“My what?” Eustace asked confused. Edmund solemnly entrusted Eustace’s protection to Reepicheep who swore by his tail, restored by the Great Lion, to keep Eustace safe.  
“Hey, I don’t need a babysitter, I’m twelve!” Eustace protested.  
“Exactly,” Edmund said, satisfied that everyone was safe now. 

“Don’t go giving Caspian ideas” Lucy giggled. And shit yeah, Caspian would definitely jump on this idea and probably try to assign half of the crew to frog march Edmund everywhere he went. Thankfully Caspian was busy examining the gold armband Eustace had discarded. It had a telmarian eagle on it. “-Drinian, this symbol on the inside-” Caspian was saying. 

The arm band had belonged to Lord Octesian who had most likely died a grim death on the island. Dawn Treader was ready for sail, and everyone was eager to leave, the island’s magic sat badly with everyone. 

They sailed right into a sea serpent's lair. It turned out the Aslan had shown Eustace how to change back into a human and also how to change back into a dragon. Edmund disapproved of his cousin fighting a sea serpent, he was really starting to feel like his mother. Lucy and Reepicheep cheered from the deck as Eustace got the sea serpent to move away from the ship. 

With the sea serpent vanquished, and Eustace in everyone’s good books they sailed on until another island appeared over the horizon. Edmund didn’t want to stop, he wanted to forget the whole find the lord’s business and sail back to Cair Paravel, and then make sure the little power play that was going on was stopped. They decided to split into pairs and do a quick search of the island then continue on. Only a small group of twelve took one of the row boats out to the island, the rest of the crew remained on Dawn Treader.


	10. Bad water

Edmund and Caspian went off to search the low caves of the island. “You know I really think we should head back” Edmund said as they climbed down the rocks of one cave.  
“To the Lone islands?” Caspian asked ducking lower into the cave.  
“No, to Narnia”. Caspian looked back at Edmund frowning slightly and tilted his head questioningly.  
“I just-” Edmund began rubbing at his arm unsure, “apart from Bern the only other Lords we’ve found have been dead.” Caspian nodded reaching out for Edmund’s hand,  
“It does seem fruitless, but I took a vow to find the seven banished lords”.  
“You what, why?”  
“It was part of my coronation vows, in the first year I was crowned, it won me a lot of approval”. 

Edmund still thought this whole voyage was not worth it, the end result had been to find Edmund, and Edmund was already found and would very much like to go home to Cair Paravel now. 

They walked lower into the cave and a small opening somewhere above lit a low pool in daylight. Something glinted at the bottom. Caspian peered into the waters and then held an arm out in front of Edmund “oh that’s horrible” he murmured.  
“What is it?” Edmund asked looking into the water, there was a golden statue of a man at the bottom. Caspian produced a pencil sketch from his small leather bag.  
“It’s Lord Restimar,” he said grimly. Edmund took the drawing comparing it to the twisted in one last final scream, that rested on the golden face below, it was a match.  
“You know, I think you made a very good point,” Caspian said in the distance “all the Lords do appear to have died-”.

Caspian’s voice faded out as a strange feeling settled over Edmund, he shook his head trying to focus. There was a shell half on the edge of the pool, half in the water Edmund carefully picked it up. The light glinted off the gold and all he could think about was how this small shell could pay for Peter’s medical school. “-we never be poor again, Susan could buy herself a house-”  
“It’s my pool” Caspian’s cold voice cut Edmund off and Edmund was suddenly filled with hatred how dare Caspian claim any right to the golden pool. 

“The pool is in Narnia, and I am King of Narnia” Caspian angrily said his lips pulled back to show his clenched teeth. The pool was not in Narnia, it was on an island in the middle of the eastern sea closer to Calormen than to Narnia. What did Caspian mean he was the King of Narnia-  
“What am I, chopped bloody liver? I’ve been a Narnian King far longer than you,”  
“You didn’t seem that interested in ruling when you walked through that door and left me behind!”  
“I did that to ensure you could rule in peace!”  
“A lot of help that was! Do you know how many arguments I’ve faced in the council that nearly led to rebellions!?” 

“So you're admitting you can't rule and Peter would have done a better job than you ever could!”  
Caspian growled and lashed out at Edmund with his fists.  
“Such a great king,” Edmund mocked wrestling Caspian “the first sign of trouble and you punch your lover”. Caspian flattered briefly and Edmund couldn’t have that, he found himself saying that Caspian couldn’t even protect his own nephew from the nobility making power grabs. Caspian renewed his attack. “You shouted at a twelve year old!” Edmund screamed as Caspian tried to get him in a headlock “You’re a terrible father!” 

“You abandoned me!” Caspian’s voice was hoarse, there were tears in his eyes Edmund blinked fighting the fog in his mind “I thought you loved me! But you left me alone!”  
Edmund could taste turkish delight and snow, he suddenly felt very cold.  
“-The water-” Edmund said, fighting to clear his mind.  
“For fucks sake, you can’t have it-” Caspian said and Edmund looked up at him, there was bad magic here they needed to get out. Caspian was grumbling that he would lock Edmund up to stop him taking any of the water back to England. Edmund slapped Caspian hard.

“Ow!” Edmund grabbed Caspian by his shirt collar and smashed their mouths together, he bit at Caspian’s lower lip drawing blood. “Ed!-Ow-” Caspian said muffled against Edmund’s mouth as he dug his teeth into Caspian’s lip. Caspian gently ran his hands down Edmund’s back and the kiss turned soft. Caspian pulled back and wiped Edmund’s cheeks, he hadn’t realised he was crying. There was another strange pull from the water Caspian shuddered, they ran out of the cave clinging on to each other. 

Edmund sobbed into Caspian’s shoulder sitting on his lap under a tree they had run to, the cave far behind them. “I’m so sorry-” he sniffed “I didn’t mean any of that, Peter would have had three wars by now, he’s an idiot-” Caspian ran his finger soothingly through Edmunds hair.  
“Edmund,” he said, and there was something off about his voice, Edmund sat back and met Caspian’s worried eyes. “You know that I would never hurt you, and I won’t stop you if you wish to go back to England,” and oh no Caspian was trying to break up with him.  
“No Caspian” Edmund said vehemently “you're not allowed to break up with me”.  
“What?” Caspian frowned, confused by the phrase ‘break up’.

“I’m never leaving you again,” Edmund clarified “and I’m sorry that I ever did, you have full permission to lock me up if I ever try to-”  
“Don’t give me ideas Ed,” Caspian jokes.  
“Seriously Caspian” Edmund said seriously running his hands over Caspian’s beard “I love you-” Caspian breathed in sharply,  
“I love you too,” he said softly.  
“-And you're a wonderful parent you’ve done a great job with Rillian-” Edmund said seriously, Caspian winched.  
“I feel really bad for yelling at Eustace, it was very wrong of me,”  
“I tried to strangle Eustace the day we came to Narnia”.  
“You what”.  
“He stole my pendant, I was emotionally compromised,”  
“He’s twelve! Rillian’s been stealing my bracelet for years,”  
“I know, I’m not proud of it, I’m just saying Eustace can be…”  
“Suicidally irritating” Caspian finished  
“Exactly”. 

They shared a quiet laugh and Edmund felt so much better. “In all seriousness,” Caspian began “we could try sending some Narnian money to Peter and Susan to help them-”  
“I’m not sure if it’ll work”. Edmund frowned the first time they had left Narnia none of the things they had on them returned with them, no clothes, jewelry or weapons. It was similar the second time with the exception of Edmund’s pendant which Lucy thought maybe had something to do with the trees and overall unpredictable Narnian magic.  
There were voices on the beach indicating the rest of the search party had returned. Caspian and Edmund got up leaving the shelter of the trees joining Drinian and the others. They had found signs that the Lords had made a camp here, Caspian told them of the deathwater in the cave and the grim fate of Lord Restimar. Everyone was happy to leave the island and Dawn Treader was able to catch favourable winds and put her legendary speed to use. Deathwater Island disappeared on the horizon.


	11. Invisable Island

Edmund was walking about on the deck carrying Rillian on his hip and listening to the small boy babble a very complicated story involving blueberries and Trufflehunter. The poor badger probably couldn’t bear the sight of blueberries anymore. When he overheard Caspian talking with Drinian up on the quarterdeck. “-if we loop around here we can catch the west wind and set course for Narnia-” Caspian was saying, indicating to one of the maps. 

Edmund smiled widely looking up at Caspian from the lower deck. Caspian was going to abandon his quest to find the lost lords for Edmund and sail home to Cair Paravel. Edmund brushed back Rillian’s curls pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. The small boy fiddled with Edmund’s pendant as he told Edmund about the time he had made himself a beard from a fur coat and tricked the dwarves into thinking he was one of them. Edmund laughed a little at that ridiculous story. 

Unfortunately the sea still held surprises for the crew of the Dawn Treader as they were sailing past an uncharted island Rhince spotted a smoke signal coming from the island. Edmund really didn’t want to stop but Lucy gave him her best disapproving look.

They landed on the beach, Eustace had a fuss about being left on the Dawn Treader with the Reepicheep and the remaining crew. But he’d shut up when Edmund, who had just given Rillain a goodbye for the moment hug and forehead kiss, turned and did the same to Eustace. As they were making their way into the trees towards where Rhince roughly thought the smoke was coming from, they were accosted by invisible voices.   
Edmund gave Lucy his best ‘I told you we shouldn’t have landed on the mysterious island’ face. The invisible voices claimed to have been cursed by the magician who lived in a big house further inland. They insisted that a girl had to go break their curse because another girl had also trapped the magician in his house. 

Edmund was not going to let the group split up again or have anyone go off on their own again. Things like that he reasoned led to getting turned into a dragon or magically brainwashed by poisonous turning-everything-into-gold water. Caspian agreed, the invisible voices loudly talked over one another saying it had to be a girl Lucy interrupted them. “I can’t help you if you don’t let me take my friends with me to the house”. The voices muttered a bit more and then agreed and led them to a large empty clearing. 

“Where is the house?” Drinian asked impatiently, he also wanted to hurry up and sail back to Narnia. The poor man was probably doing himself in with the amount of times Caspian and Rillian had come into danger along the voyage.   
“It’s invisible” one of the voices tried to say mysteriously, Edmund rolled his eyes and shared a look with Drinian. At this rate Edmund was going to call this island the invisible island and have people scratching their heads when looking at the new course charted in previously uncharted waters. 

Lucy walked forward and patted at thin air she moved along slightly and then pushed and a doorway appeared opening into a very familiar looking hallway. “Is that?..” Edmund asked, feeling utterly thrown as he joined Lucy at the open doorway.  
“Professor Kirke’s house” Lucy finished with a disbelieving gasp. Edmund would very much like to know what was going on. This was honestly the weirdest thing that had happened to him, and Edmund had walked through the back of a wardrobe into another world when he was eleven. “You don’t think,” Lucy said looking at Edmund worriedly, and oh no. What if the doorway led to Professor Kirke's house in England and if they walked through it they would be leaving Narnia again. 

“There’s smoke coming from the top! It’s sort of appearing in thin air,” Rhince said from behind them. Edmund took a few steps back looking up, and yes smoke was appearing from the middle of nowhere. Edmund guessed that it must be coming from around the invisible roof area, and either someone was having real trouble in the kitchen or they were signaling for help by making the smoke appear in staggered clouds. Either way Edmund supposed they’d find out. He linked his hand with Caspian’s, if they ended up in England at least Caspian would be with Edmund. 

The invisible voices urged them to go inside and warned then to watch out for the magician who was apparently very ugly and very mean. Edmund used his other hand to grab Lucy’s and in a strange echo of that day that seemed so very long ago he walked into Professor’s Kirke’s house.   
It was definitely Professor Kirke’s house. The dark wood paneling was a match and so were the statues at the top of the main staircase. What Edmund didn’t remember was the deep red wallpaper and purple carpeting. Lucy looked over her shoulder at the doorway and slumped in relief when it showed the island outside. Drinian, Rhince and the other seven crew mates fanned out in the hallway looking for any danger. 

There was a crash from upstairs and then the sound of hurried footsteps running down the stairs loudly enough that Edmund could almost hear Mrs McCready shouting for whoever it was to stop disturbing the Professor. A disheveled man in a purple dressing gown rounded the corner of the staircase. He had a wide eyed look on his face and his short hair was very rumpled. He looked very unhinged, so Edmund couldn’t blame the crew for drawing their weapons, Drinian sternly telling the man to halt and show his hands. Lucy squinted at the man and then she said “Professor Kirke?” and Edmund could see it now, he even had the same dressing gown on. But instead of looking about sixty the professor looked to be in his late twenties. 

“Oh, I’m sorry have we met?” Professor Kirke said in his cut glass english accent with his hands in the air where Drinian could see them.


	12. The Magician's Nephew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Digory Kirke: *exists*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the Magican's nephew, if you haven't read it

It was starting to make sense to Edmund. When they had first left Narnia they had returned to the day they’d left England. Back then Professor Kirke had said he’d made the wardrobe from a tree he’d planted using a seed that had come from a Narnian tree. Time travel, it was the only thing that made sense. 

“Well, we’ve met you but you haven’t met us yet”. Edmund said carefully to Professor Kirke who looked a little confused and then shrugged.  
“Oh, good to know, I’m guessing you both” he guesterd between Edmund and Lucy “are from England”.  
“Oh yes” Lucy began enthusiastically before Drinian accidentally cut her off demanding to know what the hell was going on.  
“I think-” Edmund said tentatively to Drinian, still looking at Professor Kirke “time travel”. Drinian put his sword down and turned to stare at Edmund “excuse me, time travel?!” Poor Drinian. 

Professor Kirke cleared his throat “sorry, can I come down the rest of the stairs now?” He asked and Drinian made a frustrated noise and said “yes, fine”. The Professor grinned and bounced down the remaining stairs, Edmund was very weirded out. Caspian asked Edmund quietly what was going on. Was the Professor from England?

“I’m so glad that you stopped off here, you have no idea how long it’s been since I’ve seen a face”. Kirke said to Lucy shaking her hand and apologizing for not knowing her name though she knew his. Edmund quickly told Caspian that he and his siblings had stayed at this house when they had first come to Narnia and that Professor Kirke had been an old man. Edmund needed a drink.  
Kirke was telling Lucy that he had been so pleased she had found the invisible door.  
“The smoke signal was you?” Caspian asked and Kirke turned to Caspian.  
“Oh yes, things have got very sticky here and I was so happy to see your ship out on the sea”.  
“Professor,” Edmund interrupted, “do you possibly have anything alcoholic? I think we should catch up”.  
“Oh how rude of me! I do apologize. Refreshments-” the Professor waved around enthusiastically directing everyone into his drawing room. 

“Call me Digory the whole ‘professor’ thing makes me feel like an old man”. Edmund made a beeline for the scotch. “Huh, I’m surprised you knew where that was” Digory said as Edmund moved aside two Tolkein novels and grabbed the scotch from the bookcase. “Me too” Lucy muttered, easily locating some glasses and putting them out on the table. Digory laughed a little to himself “well I guess time travel” he reasoned gesturing for everyone to sit. “My dear Lucy” Digory asked, taking Lucy’s hand “you must tell me how you know me”. Lucy giggled as Digory flashed her a handsome smile “we meet when you're about sixty,” Lucy said and Digory frowned and muttered that he never thought he’d live that long, and it was nice to know that he wouldn’t possibly get blown up for a long time to come. Lucy told Digory about finding Narnia at the back of a wardrobe in this house.

Edmund took a swig of alcohol “I don’t suppose you have a magical wardrobe upstairs?” he asked. Digory didn’t, but he had normal wardrobes with clothes in, if Edmund wanted to change his clothes. Caspian declined on Edmund’s behalf. “Okay, so Digory,” Edmund felt weird calling the Professor by his first name, “how did you get a whole house here from England?”  
“Ah, now that’s a question for Polly”. Digory went off on a tangent about Polly, and then began a very insane story beginning when Digory was fourteen and his uncle did some mad experiments; causing him and Polly to travel to different worlds. 

Digory and Polly had been there for the dawn of Narnia. Digory had known the white witch, he had seen her world end “-and I’m kind of the reason Jadis is here-”. Digory and Polly had gone home to England leaving Frank and Helen to become the first rulers of Archenland. They had kept the travel rings Digory’s mad uncle had made, grew up, got married. And decided to come back because Polly, who had designed glass balls to keep watch over the threat of Jadis, had seen the witch return and curse the land to eternal winter. 

“The rings are very powerful and we were in the house, so the house came with us. But we had underestimated Jadis renewed strength, she pushed us out of the Narnia she had just cursed and we landed here”. When the white witch had attacked, Digory and the house had been hit by an invisibility spell that Jadis had aimed at Digory’s travel ring. Digory had grabbed the ring and been able to transport himself and the house away. Polly had been outside the house when Jadis attacked, she had used her travel ring but wasn’t here when Digory traveled to the island. Digory had lost his ring because it was invisible, he had tried to get help from the locals, a tribe of dwarf-like-creatures called Duffers. But they had understandably been afraid of his invisible house, panicked and been turned invisible by the magic still around the house. Digory had been unable to leave his house for a month because the Duffers would attack him demanding he turn them back. “I can’t. I’ve read every book Polly has but I can’t find anything, and Polly is much better at reversing magic than I am”. 

Edmund digested all of what Digory had just said and tried not to get indigestion. Lucy filled Digory in on how they had defeated the white witch and lived as Kings and Queens before unknowingly re-discovering the back of the wardrobe and returning. “And it didn’t work again?” Digory said before telling Lucy about his uncle’s early experiments with guinea pigs. Digory said that there was powerful magic in the silver sea beyond the dark magic overhanging the next Island over. He asked if they would be willing to sail beyond the dark island to the silver sea and bury a mirror in the sand. “You will be able to open the door to other worlds then and Polly, she will come looking”. 

Drinian seemed to recover his voice from where he had been sitting in shock probably wondering why he even left Narnia. “Do you know anything about five telmarian Lords?” he asked. 

It turned out that the Duffers had met the Lords when they sailed through. They explained that the Lords sailed on to the dark island and their destination had also been the silver sea. The Duffers were very afraid of the dark island and it’s dark magic. Caspian agreed to sail to the silver sea and bury the mirror for Polly to find. 

Rillian, Ben, Eustace and Reepicheep would remain with Digory and the Duffers so as not to encounter any danger when sailing by Dark Island. Eustace was very put out, he argued that he should be allowed to come along because he could turn into a dragon. Digory overheard this and was fascinated.


	13. The White Witch

Caspian walked beside Edmund as they made their way to Dawn Treader, ready to set sail to Dark Island. “You are alright with doing this right?” Caspian asked Edmund and Edmund considered how he felt. He had really wanted to sail past the island and set course for Narnia. But landing and discovering Professor Kirke had derailed his plan. “That pool,” Edmund said, “the magic there, it reminded me of the white witch” Caspian nodded.  
“Yes, it was like I was back in the How when Nikabrik and the hag tried to bring her back”.  
“Digory said Jadis ate a golden apple and is immortal, I don’t think she’s been fully defeated”. Edmund shuddered feeling cold. Caspian wrapped a comforting arm around Edmund “we can still turn around and set sail for Narnia” he offered Edmund.  
Edmund smiled at his fiance, “no, I think we should go to the silver sea and get Polly, she and the Professor can banish Jadis”. 

Digory had lent Lucy some of Polly’s armour and Lucy was decked out fiercely with her two wide swords strapped to her back. They set sail for Dark Island. 

The water was murky and dark fog surrounded the ship. Rhince was having difficulty seeing anything from the crows nest. Caspian stood grimly on the quarter deck looking out onto the dark waters. Edmund had a horrible feeling about what lay ahead, he could already feel the bad magic that sat heavy around Dark Island. It reminded Edmund of the cave and the pool, Edmund wanted to get rid of the sick feeling he had.

“Caspian,” Edmund said, getting Caspian’s attention. Edmund ran a hand over Caspian’s beard and looked into Caspian’s eyes reminding himself that he really loved this man. Edmund closed the space between them and softly pressed their mouths together. Caspian seemed to understand what Edmund was silently asking and pulled Edmund into his arms deeping the kiss.  
Rhince cried out from the crows nest, he could see land. 

Edmund took a steadying breath resting his forehead against Caspian’s eyes closed. The Dark Island lay ahead all they had to do was sail past and reach the Silver Sea. 

A loud cry came from the Island, there was a shape on the rocks waving desperately at Dawn Treader. 

Drinian had a boat lowered and came back with a haunted looking man. It was Lord Rhoop. He had been left behind when the Lords had sailed past Dark Island. He was half mad. “The island, it can read your fear-” Lord Rhoop said disheveled and shaking “-the magic here, it won’t let you rest”. Edmund tightened his hold on Caspian’s hand, he didn’t like where this was leading to Edmund suddenly felt very scared. “Don’t think!” Lord Rhoop cried “don’t show it your fear!”

An image of the sea serpent popped into Edmund’s mind, “Oh no”.  
“What did you think of Edmund?” Lucy asked drawing her swords, Caspian ran a hand through Edmund’s hair looking at him with concern.  
“Do you remember the sea serpent?” Edmund asked Lucy and she gave Edmund a deadpan look.  
“Seriously?” She complained. 

Something big hit the side of the Dawn Treader, Lord Rhoop cried out in distress and Drinian had him taken below decks. The sea serpent surfaced looking ten times more terrifying than it had when Eustace got it to leave the first around. Lucy was a whirlwind of sharp blades as the sea serpent tried to crush Dawn Treader. 

Edmund hacked at it’s side as the massive beast reared up over the deck. There was a cold whisper in his ear “hello Edmund” Jadis said. Edmund flinched back to find a green shadow with Jadis face beside him. “It’s been so very long,” Jadis crooned, reaching out a hand to touch Edmund’s cheek. Edmund tried to move away but part of the sea serpent’s body was in the way trapping him in a corner. Thick magic swirled around him and Jadis sweetly told Edmund to join her and become King beside her. 

Caspian’s sword cut through the green fog and Jadis disappeared. Caspian had an arm around Edmund’s waist holding him steady “Ed”. Edmund looked up at him and was about to try to say thank you when there was a loud shout. “Your Majesty look out!” 

The sea serpent had swiveled it’s head away from Lucy and had appeared behind Caspian it’s large teeth diving in for the kill. Edmund pushed Caspian to the deck and drove his sword up through the sea serpents mouth and into its head. It released a horrible high pitched scream and Edmund almost thought he heard Jadis crying out in anger. There was a flash of blue light and the sea serpent faded away to nothing.


	14. The Silver Sea

With Dark Island far behind them they sailed swiftly to the silver sea until the ship could go no further and the water was full of Lilies. A row boat was lowered with only Edmund, Caspian, Lucy and Drinian in it. Edmund dipped his hand into the sweet water looking at the lilies, they were Susan’s favourite flower. Edmund wondered what would happen back in England and if he would ever see Susan and Peter again. 

They reached the shore and walked in a little on the sand, Caspian got out the mirror Digory had given them and began to dig a hole. With the mirror buried they all stood around the spot awkwardly. “So what do you think will happen?” Drinan asked everyone and Lucy shrugged.  
“I guess we just wait”. 

Water began to flood upwards from where the mirror was buried and they all quickly moved away. A massive swirl of water burst upwards, a woman with short blonde hair wearing a leather brown pilots jacket dived through and landed in front of them. “Oh thank fuck,” she breathed “I thought I was going to to get eaten by massive crabs”.  
Edmund stared at the woman and wondered why she looked a little bit familiar. She brushed sand off her trousers and held out a hand “well none of you are my husband, I don’t suppose you stole a mirror from a scrawny looking fella?”  
“Are you Polly Kirke?” Lucy asked the lady, shaking her hand.  
“Polly Plummer,” She corrected “have you met my Digory? He’s not hurt is he?”  
“He’s fine” Dirian said “if a bit demented”.  
“Sounds like my Digs”

Before anything else could happen a loud bashing sound like wood hitting wood sounded from beyond the swirling water that Polly had just come through. “You’re not expecting anyone else to come through are you?” Polly asked as hushed voices were heard on the other side.  
“Not really” Caspian answered and then one of the voices loudly whispered  
“Stop shoving me Peter!” and was quickly followed by a man falling through the water and crashing face first into the sand. Edmund’s brother Peter fell out after the man and landed on top of him “I hate sand” the man grumbled.  
“Peter!” Lucy cried out in joy running to a surprised looking Peter and hugging him, Peter patted her back and waved awkwardly at Edmund. The man groaned on the sand.  
“Oh so you know these people?” Polly asked Edmund  
“The blonde one is my brother, I don’t know who the other one is”.

“I’m his boyfriend,” Peter’s boyfriend said, getting up and dusting sand out of his dark hair.  
“Anwar!” Peter said in protest, still being bear hugged by Lucy  
“What?” Anwar said pointing to Edmund “he said he was your brother”. Anwar looked everyone over and then asked Caspian if they happened to have landed in Calormen perchance. Polly told Anwar that they were in the silver sea about a week's sail from Calormen, “aren’t there supposed to be mermaids here?” Anwar asked before Peter interrupted him  
“You’ve been to Narnia before and you never told me!?”  
“No I’ve never been to Narnia, I’m from Calormen and it never really came up”  
“Never really-! You could’ve brought it up!”  
“So could have you”

It turned out that Peter’s boyfriend who he met at medical school had been born in Calormen during a lot of civil unrest most of his family had been killed and his grandfather had used a magical object to send Anwar to India where he had been adopted and grew up. Lucy told Anwar their backstory and introduced everyone to him.  
“That is absolutely insane” Peter said as Polly took notes.  
“Not as insane as you being the actual High King Peter from all the stories”

Peter was very embarrassed by the fact that he and Anwar had only ended up in the silver sea, catching the tail end of the magic portal to bring Polly back; all because they had hidden in a wardrobe.  
“Why were you hiding in a wardrobe” Lucy asked 

Peter was very red as Anwar explained they had almost been caught kissing and Peter had painked and shoved the both of them into the wardrobe. “Oh that is funny” Edmund said starting to laugh.

Anwar asked Caspian if he was having any troubles with Calormen, as his grandfather had said he would return to this world when he was needed. Before Peter could demand to know more there was a flash of light from the mirror, now half buried in the sand followed by the sound of something hitting the water behind them. 

Edmund whirled around to find Susan sitting in the shallow water amongst the lilies, a lovely dark skinned woman was with her and she was demanding to know what had just happened. Susan and her friend, (yeah right Susan) Nabiyah had been walking down a street in the middle of New York when they had both felt a strong tug and landed here. Nabiyah wondered if they’d been hit by a car and she was now dead. Susan explained as much as she could and Nabiyah wondered if maybe there had been some marijuana in her uncle’s cooking. 

Polly took over explaining things to Nabiyah “oh my god are you Amelia Earhart?” Nabiyah asked Polly. Oh, that was were Edmund had seen her face before she looked like that pilot who'd gone missing. 

Caspian dug the mirror back up “I don’t think we want anyone else coming through do we?” He asked and Drinian said that he bloody well hoped not this was already too much for him to handle.

Drinian herded everyone onto the rowboat and they rowed back to Dawn Treader. Nabiyah sat between Polly and Susan one hand in each of theirs and swore up a storm at the sight of the large ship. Lucy and Peter were busy grilling Anwar for everything he remembered about Calormen and his life before in this world.  
“Do you think we should tell Peter about Eustace turning into a dragon?” Caspian side whispered to Edmund.  
“Oh god no”. 

They sailed as quickly as they could past Dark Island and were able to catch a very strong wind that cut the distance a good deal. Duffer's Island appeared on the horizon. Lucy had explained the invisibility problem to Polly and caught Susan and Peter up on their adventures so far. Nabiyah had slowly calmed down and had become fascinated with Polly explaining a complicated mix of science and magic. Drinian and the crew of the Dawn Treader had at this point just accepted that their voyage had turned into ferrying around strange people from another world. 

“Oh my god there’s a dragon” Nabiyah said pointing towards the clearing beyond the rest of the trees. Peter and Susan did a double take and Anwar wanted to know why dragon’s hadn’t been brought up before. Lucy just laughed. 

Eustace was flying around the invisible house in his dragon form as Digory encouraged him and took notes. Rillian was sitting on Ben’s shoulders shouting excitedly having the time of his life. “Pollyanna!” Digory cried running into Polly’s open arms. 

“Eustace get down here!” Edmund shouted disapprovingly at his cousin. Eustace swooped low and transformed back, Reepicheep perched on his shoulders. Peter nearly fainted. 

Edmund hugged Eustace and told Digory not to use his cousin for research purposes.


	15. Traveling

The next morning Edmund woke up in the room he had stayed in during the blitz in England. For a split second Edmund panicked wondering why he was back in Professor Kirke’s house, and then came back to him. Time travel. Professor Kirke in his purple dressing gown waving about looking way too young. Lord Rhoop, the sea serpent, the beach and the mirror. Polly, Peter, Susan and their significant others. Edmund groaned into his pillow.   
“Ah you’re awake” Caspian said appearing in Edmund’s vision. He leaned down and pressed a good morning kiss to Edmund’s forehead. Edmund smiled into his pillow feeling much better already “why are you dressed” Edmund asked Caspian frowning at him. Caspian huffed a soft laugh.   
“It’s nearly noon, you’ve been asleep for a while” Caspian explained and Edmund groaned some more. 

Edmund got up and got dressed and he and Caspian were accosted by Rillian on their way down stairs. Rillian demanded that Edmund carry him which is how Edmund ended up with a very wriggly child on his shoulders. Anwar cooed at him and Rillian saying they were just the cutest. Anwar had come back inside for his coat, everyone else was outside. 

Polly was hovering in mid air in front of the house surrounded by floating glass balls, Lucy stood nearby also holding a glass ball. Caspian blinked at Polly and Drinian informed his King that Polly was sitting on one Dufflepads shoulder and the rest were holding her glass objects. Everyone who wasn't invisible was standing round the house in the clearing. Peter was having a very deep conversation with Eustace and Reepicheep. Nabiyah and Susan were talking with Digory. Polly produced the mirror from yesterday and did something very complicated with light and reflections. The house appeared in the clearing and so did the Dufflepads and three bedraggled looking men. The Dufflepads who had been bouncing in celebration cried out in fear at the sight of the three men who they had thought were Dufflepads like them. 

The three men introduced themselves as Argoz, Mavramorn, Revilian. They were the remaining missing Lords. Drinian immediately questioned them and revealed Lord Rhoop was aboard the Dawn Treader. The Lords wanted to go reunite with their friend so Drinian had Rhince escort them. 

Anwar joined Peter Eustace and Reepicheep. Nabiyah turned her questions to Polly asking about physics. Susan was holding her hand. Lucy happily came over to where Edmund was standing with Caspian Rillian and Ben “Morning Ed!” 

With the Dufflepuds back to normal Polly produced a small box from her bag and a small object came flying out of the house. It was Digory’s travel ring which settled in the box next to Polly’s own one. Digory explained that they had a mission to complete; they needed to ensure that the White Witch was truly gone from this world. Lucy asked about the wardrobe and Polly promised that one day they would bury the rings so the wardrobe would be made. Lucy gifted Polly and Digory a tree seed, she said that Digory had told her years before that the wardrobe had been made from the rings and a tree seed from Narnia. 

Susan asked Nabiyah and Eustace if they wanted to go back to their own world. Nabiyah said that she would very much like to explore this world but also wanted assurance that she could go back to America to see her family. Anwar said that there might be doorways still in Calormen. Polly gifted Nabiyah her mirror. Eustace wanted to go home “-but I also want to stay, I just think I need to see my parents again”. Digory said that he and Polly would come find Eustace so that Eustace could come back. 

Rillian clung to Eustace and Edmund’s chest hurt. Eustace said goodbye to everyone Caspian patted him on the shoulder and called him a good lad. Polly offered her hand to Eustace Digory, one hand on Polly’s shoulder, the other on the side of the house. The Dufflepuds saluted the three of them goodbye. Polly got out a travel ring and she, Eustace, Diggory and the house vanished leaving an empty clearing. Rillian sadly buried his head in Caspian’s shoulder.


	16. Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I died writing this chapter..

Edmund frowned at the recipe book and tried to locate the rice. The kitchen had a lot of cupboards and ceramic jars. Edmund was an average cook. He could make decent food. Susan had always been much better. Usually the cooks at Cair Paravel would prepare all the food. Edmund had asked permission to cook something himself. He wanted to make a rice and apricot dish that he had come across whilst visiting Peter and Anwar in Calormen. 

After Polly and Digory had left with Eustace to return Edmund’s cousin to England, they had sailed home to Cair Paravel. It turned out that Anwar’s grandfather had been one of the brothers to the Calormen King. One of Anwar’s cousins was currently on the throne. Caspian had been having some difficulty in the peace talks with her. Calormen had heard of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy’s brief return to Narnia. They had been pestering Caspian to produce the Kings and Queens of old. Queen Devi was very happy to host Peter and Anwar in Calormen. 

Susan and Nabiyah had gone off on a long exploration of everywhere. Nabiyah wanted to travel and learn about the new world she had been thrown into. The latest letter had come from Archenland. 

Edmund located a bag of rice. He stood back and looked at the gathered ingredients and consulted the recipe book again. He needed to chop an onion first. About a week after Eustace had gone home to England a very crumpled letter was delivered by Polly and Digory who were just ‘popping by’. Eustace had returned home safe, Edmund and Lucy had been reported as missing and had last been sighted in the town hall before it was blown up during an air raid. 

Edmund swept the onions into the deep pan along with the butter and put it on a low heat. Edmund’s presence in Cair Paravel had quietened the pressure on Caspian to marry which had made it difficult for Edmund to figure out who among the council wanted to get rid of Caspian’s heir. Rillian’s life had not been threatened since their return, but Edmund put that down to Lucy’s new habit of sharpening her twin swords daily in full view of the council chambers. She was very intimidating. Edmund stirred in the rice and then added the water. Rillian had celebrated his sixth birthday two months earlier and Lucy had gifted him a long dagger similar to the one she had received the first time she came to Narnia when she had been eight. Edmund admitted that he hadn’t been a big fan of that gift. Edmund added the apricots and let the pan shimmer. 

Edmund was just thinking about cleaning up when two arms wrapped around his middle. “-That smells fantastic,” Caspian said resting his head over Edmund’s shoulder peering down at the boiling pan.   
Edmund leaned back into Caspian’s chest “it’s not done yet” he said and laced their fingers together.   
Caspian hummed tilting his head to the side trying to meet Edmund’s eyes “it’s not going to boil over or anything if I distract you?”   
Edmund smiled widely at the question “It’ll be fine for fifteen minutes” he said pointing to the time turner sitting on the surface.   
“Good,” Caspian said, kissing Edmund’s cheek and then turning Edmund to face him.

Caspian held both of Edmund’s hands running his thumbs over Edmund’s knuckles; he stared deeply into Edmund’s eyes. Edmund twitched his eyebrows “What?” Edmund asked, laughing a bit at the odd atmosphere Caspian stared at him harder. “What are you doing with your face right now?” Edmund enquired “it’s all scrunched up-” Caspian took a breath interrupting Edmund “I know this isn’t the rose archway but...” Caspian took a small step back and then went down on one knee, why was he kneeling- “will you marry me?” Caspian asked, holding up a silver ring. And oh, oh Edmund swept down and kissed Caspian ending up on the floor with him “-that a yes then?” Caspian asked as Edmund attacked his face with butterfly kisses. “Of course” Edmund said kissing Caspian again, he pulled back to say “yes” then kissed Caspian again “I do” kiss “yes”.


	17. Blue evening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... *feels bad for taking so long*

The sky was a cool blue of late evening over the great Western woods. In a sacred grove the trees had welcomed a small party. The trees accommodated watchful owls and woodland creatures, and a small boy who was very happy to have made friends with one particularly fluffy white owl. It was a rare thing indeed that the trees allowed humans into the grove. But the golden Queen had requested a private place for her brother, and the trees were happy for the sweet Kings to enter. Edmund stood in the small clearing hand in hand with Caspian as the tree spirits gathered around, beautiful smiles graced the trees' ethereal faces. The only other guests and witnesses were the golden Queen’s elder brother and sister. Lucy came forward and wrapped a golden scarf around Edmund and Caspian’s clasped hands. As the sun sank in soft yellows the two Kings shared a happy kiss. 

It had been two weeks of pure joy for Edmund. Two weeks of secret smiles and bubbling laughter. So when the Lady Fleur put two and two together and upended those two weeks, Edmund was miffed. 

“A secret wedding your majesty!?” one of the Lord’s loudly accused “-highly inappropriate against every rule-”. Edmund sighed and tried valiantly to not fidget in the uncomfortable metal chairs installed in the council room. He really should get the chairs removed, they had very siff high backs and were incredibly uncomfortable. 

“My Lords,” Caspian tried to speak over the pointed mutterings.   
“Your majesty,” Lady Fleur loudly said in her very irritating voice, her nose was tilted up. “It is really only fair if a proper wedding is held-” 

“Excuse me?” Lucy interrupted frowning and Lady Fleur hastily backed off. Edmund could have kissed Lucy for getting Lady Fleur to shut up. “The wedding was entirely valid” Lucy’s voice cut like steel over the assembly silencing the members. 

“It is my wish to have a private ceremony” Caspian quickly took advantage of the quiet, one of the Lords tried to cut in again calling for a second public ceremony. “And only a private ceremony,” Caspain said firmly. “It is, after all, my wedding”. 

The council erupted 

“But your Majesty!-”

“My King!” 

“Sire see sense!” 

“Trees officiating-”

“Enough!” Edmund shouted and he was suddenly on his feet glaring at the Lord who had complained about the trees, a hush fell over the room. “Peter!” Edmund said and the council frowned amongst themselves in confusion. Peter straightened up from his position by the doors, Edmund looked at his brother. “You get to sort this out” Edmund declared before grabbing Caspian’s hand and dragging his husband out of the room. 

“Wait what should I, how do I even?-” Peter asked hurriedly.   
“Just make a new law or something” Edmund threw over his shoulder and beat a hasty retreat up the stairs. 

“You know, I’m not really supposed to just leave in the middle of an assembly,” Caspian said fondly as he allowed Edmund to guide him through the secret side passages in the castle walls. Edmund hoped Peter made a law banning any members of the court from the palace, they were everywhere.   
“Yes well, it's not everyday that I get accused of dishonoring a King by forcing you into the forest and an illegitimate marriage. I mean, really don’t they know anything about trees?!”

Caspian pressed a soothing kiss to their joined hands. “It takes time to learn” he said and all the tension in Edmund left him. There was only a very faint light in the corridor from a gap in the wall. Edmund didn’t care, they were alone and his husband was looking at him like that and well. Edmund ran his fingers through Caspian’s beard bringing his husband in for a kiss Edmund sunk his tongue into Caspian’s mouth. “Ed-” Caspian breathed and bit at Edmun’s mouth. They were pressed against each other in the dim corridor and Edmund needed to Caspian to touch him. “Ed” Caspian gasped and Edmund moaned loudly. 

They exited the corridor clothes askew and faces flushed. Edmund didn’t care.


	18. Golden Dawn

“You two need a honeymoon,” Susan declared a few days later. Waltzing swiftly into the Kings breakfast room and stealing an apple off the table. Edmund looked up from his toast and considered unhooking his foot from Caspian’s. He didn’t. 

“It’s the best way to get the council to hurry up and move on”. Susan continued pulling a chair up next to Edmund. “And also I can’t stand another day of you both shamelessly mooning over one another”. 

“Su” Edmund protested, feeling a flutter of embarrassment. Susan crunched into her apple and raised her eyebrows at Edmund. Alright, she had a point. 

“I agree,” Caspian said, putting down his cutlery. “However I can’t get the nobles to agree on anything at the moment”. Susan smiled prettily at Caspian, it was the smile she used in poker games. Edmund put his toast down suddenly invested. 

Lucy was at the docks, Dawn Treader was set for sail. “Ship’s ready!” Lucy called with a wide smile. Nabiyah was with Lucy, she looked extremely happy to get to see a ship ready itself for sail. 

“Where are we going?” Caspian asked Susan. He seemed a shade concerned. Edmund didn’t blame him, when Susan got an idea she could be terrifying.  
“The Lone Islands” Susan replied her poker grin in full force. Edmund reached out and linked his fingers with Caspian’s. 

Peter and Anwar were amongst the people and Narnians milling around the docks. They had Rilian with them. 

Rilian immediately dragged Edmund off to look at a crab he had found.   
“Um, will everything be alright if we go?” Edmund heard Caspian ask.   
“We have everything handled” Susan reassured Caspian. “After all, we've had years of practice ruling Narnia”.   
“It will be perfectly fine,” Peter said. Edmund could see Peter and Susan were smiling in an eerily similar way. Caspian didn’t seem very assured that they had everything in hand.  
“Don’t worry, this is great practice for Calormen, you wouldn’t believe the politics there-”. Anwar chimed in. 

Edmund swooped in grabbing Caspian. “Alright thank you, Peter no sword fights allowed” Edmund said dragging Caspian away from his well meaning siblings. 

“They are going to start a war with half the council aren’t they” Caspian sighed letting Edmund guide him towards the Dawn Treader.   
“It’ll be fine, Lucy will stop them from offending too many people”. 

Caspian tilted his head in acknowledgement of Lucy’s superior skill. “Anwar is a very good babysitter,” Caspian said, nodding towards where Anwar and Rilian were. Rilian was babbling rapidly and Anwar looked perfectly in his element. 

It was actually very nice to be on the ship. It was peaceful, and no one interrupted them with timetables or policys or curtain issues. 

“Hah, the cabin is exactly the same,” Caspian said happily, running his eye over the inside. He was smiling widely, and Edmund hadn’t seen Caspian smile so lightly like that for three whole days. 

Someone had left a box of dried sweet fruits on the small table by the bed. Caspian picked out a sweet and ate it. “Do you remember last time we were in here?” Caspian drawled slowly, looking Edmund up and down. And yes, yes Edmund did. 

Caspian leaned over Edmund and slowly kissed him softly pressing his lips against Edmund’s gently biting at Edmunds mouth. Edmund dug his hands through Capspian’s long hair tangling his legs with Caspian’s. Edmund licked into Caspian’s mouth chasing the taste of sugar in his mouth. Caspian kissed down the side of Edmund’s neck running his hands down Edmund’s side’s and hooking them under the waistband of his trousers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all you lovely readers <3 <3


End file.
